MovieChat Forums > Donovan's Reef (1963) Discussion > Things I Learned at Donovan's Reef

Things I Learned at Donovan's Reef

posted 17 years ago by DoctorStrangelove
9 replies | jump to latest

Things I Learned at Donovan's Reef:

- women wear goofy boots in Boston

- they make explosively fizzy beer in Hawai'i

- Chinamen are crafty! When they speak Engrish, anyway

- Lee Marvin is naturally hilarious without hardly doing anything

- John Wayne must have had some kind of spanking fetish. (Or was it John Ford's?) It seems that in every Wayne movie that involves HIM chasing HER, the woman ends up over his knee before finally giving in to his charms. The Quiet Man, McLintock!, Donovan's Reef, Hatari!*...

Last seen:
1776 - 9/10

* it's been a long time, so I'm not sure about this one

[–] rockdontrun-2 16 years ago

To colonize an island, France only needs 20 people, three of whom aren't even French.

If a grand piano falls on you, you won't die or even be injured. In fact, it'll be really funny.

If you're shanghaied on a boat to China and you jump ship to swim to the nearest island, the crew won't bother looking for you.

It is NOT okay to make fun of Pacific Islanders. We should respect their customs and beliefs. It IS okay to make fun of the Chinese, however. Unless they went to Amherst University, then we should make fun of them slightly less.

People from Boston dress like they're from the nineteenth century. They are neither "retahded" nor "wicked aww-sum!" but are actually prim and proper.

Australians talk like Americans attempting to sound British.

If you are pretending to be the father of someone else's kids, the fact that one of them refers to you as "uncle" rather than "dad" will not be a dead giveaway.

Two people can fall in love and get married after only knowing each other for a month and kissing only once. Apparently, they can have really passionate handshakes.

[–] MedioSiglo 16 years ago

Expect to fall into the ocean if the extended hand is attached to a man standing on the edge of the canoe.

Don't waste bottles of brandy in any manner.

Just because adults leave the room doesn't mean they've lost their hearing.

One can waterski in the Wailua River and swim to shore at Nawilili Harbor!

People do not understand "out of order" regardless of the language.

There is a King of the United States of America.

Always carry a large umbrella for concealment purposes.

Beware of falling off a moving bicycle; one's hard landing may be delayed.

No matter how idyllic one's surroundings there is always room for complaint.

Why ain't you at the garden party you heathen?

[–] butterfly_05 16 years ago

Haha!! Fantastic.

[–] iluvshirley 15 years ago

Things I learned at Donovan's Reef:

- that John Wayne can swim
- that Lee Marvin is funny
- that Cesar Romero can act French
- that the Waimea Canyon is incredible!
- that some of the "Muu-Muus" in Hawaii are beautiful
- that even someone as old as John Wayne in this movie, can fall in love with a young dish
- that Hawaii is beautiful!

[–] kellymariekitty 10 years ago

I Agree about lee Marvin. He's completely hilarious in this and cracks me up.
Especially the bit where he first whacks john Wayne and goes hahahahahahahahaha laughing hysterically with his arm pointing at Donovan on the floor. Every time I watch the dirty dozen (it's on now) I can't believe he does such a brilliant funny character in Donovan's reef. He's all serious in dirty dozen and a total crack pot in Donovan's reef. He's hilarious and think he should do more comedy with john Wayne. Both together they were brilliant.

[–] engeer 10 years ago

[–] Princerd 9 years ago

Always borrow your friend's best white suit before engaging in a bar fight. Add a colorful handkerchief for extra flare.

18 Million "bucks" was worth a lot more when this was filmed, according to Dun & Bradstreet.

Australians love beer better than lemonade/papaiade, and/or young native women.

Thomas Aloysius Gilhooley is also from Boston.

Daughter is spelled with 2 T's. Dotter!

Don't swim ashore with your cigarettes in you shirt pocket. They won't light.

What young girl around 40 years old doesn't want to get married.

The "Whatajukes" is Busted.

It is probably better to name your first son William rather than Cedley.

Elizabeth Allen ... Ameilia Dedham is a very attractive woman.

[–] spud-boy 8 years ago

Boats Gilhooley can assemble an electric train set in about 30 seconds.

If you're in a fight with you best friend, it's OK to throw a beer bottle at him, but, "Not the brandy, ya dope!"

Anytime you're pissed off, it's acceptable to throw a beer bottle at the wall, floor, table, etc.

Busted slot machines only pay off for French priests.

If you give money to the French priest to repair the chapel roof, he'll give it away.

If you are the French governor of a Pacific paradise, you'd rather be in Hollywood.

If you are a Chinese man educated in America (Yale? Harvard? I forget) you will think your native tongue is barbaric.

If you are a young, rich Boston woman who owns a shipping company, you'll give it up to marry an over-the-hill ex navy man in some obscure Pacific island.

[–] 8 years ago

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